Changeable printing device



April 10, 1928.

J. C. OSBORNE CHANGEABLE PRINTING DEVICE Filed May 1927 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 atboz muqd @351 law; Maia April 10, 1928. 1,665,717

J. c. OSBORNE CHANGEABLE PRINTING DEVICE Filed May 5, 1927 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 g E E v 2 ii m2 I 113 I Q r p I M7154 /xr 74 e \M I W Patented Apr. 10, 1928.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN C. GSBURNE, F BERLIN, GERMANY, ASSIGNOR TO THE AMERICAN MULTIGRAFH CQMPANY, 0F CLEVELAND, OHIO, A CORPORATION OF 011.10.

CHANGEABLE PRINTING DEVICE.

Application filed May 5, 1927. Serial No. 188,972.

This invention relates to a holding de vice adapted to be mounted on a rotary printing drum and carry a. printing plate, which may be readily slipped into place or removed from the device, and which when in place will be suitably supported at the same height-to-paper as other printing matter on the drum. The holder is provided with suitable means on its under side adapted to occupy space between rails on a railed drum, such as are present in a multigraph, and by underhanging the heads of such rails, retain the holder in place. When so mounted, an address plate, for instance, may be readily slipped endwise oi the drum into and out of the holder, and when in place may coact with the letter form or other material carried by the drum in the form of type or a removable printing blanket.

The standard multigraph has a segment carrying parallel rails with overhanging heads for about one half the circumference of the drum, and on the other half are mounted two ribbon spools, from which a ribbon extends about the drum over the form thereon. One or" the features or my invention is that with it the address plate may he slipped into place beneath the ribhon or removed therefrom manually, rap idly and without soiling the operators hands.

A usual form of embossed printing plate used in addressing machines on the market comprises a flat panel having depressed edge portions so that the plate is of inverted channel shape. These same plates may be used in my device by simply curving the panel thereof in conformity with the curvature of the printing machine. My device supports the intermediate portion of such plate or the region where the printing charactors are. At the same time the plate is held in place by the overhanging flanges on the holder, which overhanv the depressed edge flanges of the plate. fiy this arrangement, the holder flanges are lower than intermediate printing panel of the plate and hence they do not cause any marrin of the paper in the printing operation. owever, these edge flanges with the raised central plate of the holder furnish etiective su port for the ribbon when the plate is wit drawn so that the plate may be readily inserted in place.

I prefer to extend the plate in the form of a blank portion in the region beyond the ribbon. The plate slides readily enough in My invent-ionis illustrated in the drawlugs and hereinafter more fully explained. lln these drawings, Fig. 1 is a vertical crosssection through a multigraph machine equipped with one of my holders, as indicated by the line 1-1 on Fig. 2; Fig. 2 is a longitudinal vertical section on the plane indicated by the offset line 22 on Fig. 1; Fig. 3 is a cross-section, on a larger scale than Fig. 1, or" a portion of a multigraph segment, showing one of my holders in place and carrying a suitable address plate; Fig. 4 is a perspective of a portion of the multigraph drum so equipped but with the address plate removed; Fig. 5 is a perspective of an address plate suitable for the holder of Fig. 4-; Fig. 6 is a perspective of the holder looking at the bottom thereof.

Referring first to Figsi 1 and 2, 10 represents a main shaft which is journalled in end frame plates 11 and 12 and carries between them a pair of skeleton rings 13 and 14. On these rings is mounted a segment 15 shown as secured in place by spring hooks 16 engaging the shaft 10. The arcuate surface of the segment is provided with longitudinal rails 20, parallel with the drum axis.

The rails 20 have overhanging heads, whereby grooved type may be mounted in the channels between the rails, as will be well understood. However, the drawings indicate in place of such type, a printing blanket comprising a sheet metal plate having rows of upstanding buttons 31 with intermediate corrugations which support metal strips 32, flanged inwardly at their edge beneath the buttons. These strips are embossed with printing characters. As shown, the blanket 30 is hooked at the end 35 about the head of a rail and at the other end is hooked onto a bar 36, which is piv- 60 adapted otally connected by the spring hook 37 to the shaft 10 and may be forced by screws 38 away from the end of the segment.

Mounted between end rings 13 and 14 of the drum are a pair of ribbon spools 40 and 41 from which extends an inking ribbon 42 lying about the printing form. Beneath the drum is a rotary platen adapted to coact with the printing form and geared with the drum by means of a gear 51 connected to the platen (through a shiftable coupling 52) and a meshing gear 17 on the drum. Suitable eccentric adjustment allows the accurate positioning of the platen.

The multigraph just described, constitutes no part of my invention, except that my plate holder is designed specifically for mounting on such a drum stucture as above set out.

As shown in Figs. 3, 4, and 6, the holder of this invention comprises a curved plate to rest on top of the rails 20 of the drum, and having on its under side means for holding it .in place, as flanged rails 61 of inverted T-shape which may lie between rails of the multigraph drum and underhang their heads. The plate has in the intermediate portion of its upper surface a reenforcing plate 63 curved correspondingly and suitably secured to the plate 60 and thus making an intermediate raised bed with depressed channels in the edges thereof. The bottom plate 60 at the edges is curled over inwardly a short distance about the bottom'plate as shown at 65.

The address plate or other removable printing plate, designated 70, is of sheet metal, having an intermediate panel upwardly embossed with printing characters and having its edge portions bent first downwardly as at 71 and then outwardly as at 72. The outward portions form edge flanges which are adapted to be slid beneath overturned edges 65 of the holder as shown in Fig. 3.

When mounted in position, the intermediate'portion of the plate rests snugly on the thickened support 63 of the holder, which; thus receives the printing pressure. The printing characters on the panel stand well above the body of the plate and above the turned-over edges 65 of the holder, so that the'characters will be the only portion of this device to impress the paper.

The bars 61 shown as secured to the underside of the holder to hold it on the drum, are preferably so positioned with reference to the multigraph rails that they rub snugly against opposite heads of rails, and thus the holder is held in place with sufficient friction so that it is not displaced when the plate is withdrawn from the holder or shoved into it. The particular number of rails embraced and the particular surface thereof to which the holder clings may be varied, if desired.

It is desirable, however, to have the engagement with the multigraph drum snug enough so that the friction alone will retain the holder in the position given it.

I have shown in Fig. 4 the edges 65 of the holder cut off at the entrance end as shown at 67, and the thickened support 63 rounded at its ends at 68 to facilitate the ready insertion of the plate 70. Such a device as described enables a multigraph to be very cheaply equipped with means for printing changeable addresses in conjunction with a body, the same for each imprint.

Such body form is mounted on the drum by means of a blanket or type or otherwise as desired; then it is only necessary to shove the holder into place in the region adjacent the beginning of the body form, and place the ribbon over the body form and address plate.

One rotation, in coaction with the platen, will thus rint an addressed circular letter. At the end of the rotation, there is a momentary pause and the attendant with his left thumb may then bear down on the portion 76 of the address plate beyond the ribbon and withdraw it somewhat from the holder, then grasp it and remove it entirely and shove into place a fresh address-plate. When rotation is resumed, another letter is printed with the same body but dilferent address.

My holder may be very cheaply constructed. The base portion with the curled over edges may be one plate, and the pad a second plate,-while the two rails may be secured to the under side of the main plate by rivets which pass through the pad and plate and thus hold all the parts together.

I claim:

1. A changeable printing form comprising a holder, projections on its underside enabling it to be slidably mounted on a railed printing member, said holder having a raised intermediate bed and inwardly extending slightly raised edges, combined with a plate having a raised central panel adapted to bear on said raised bed and depressed edges adapted to slide beneath the inwardly extending edges of the holder.

2. The combination of a holder curved to rest on a railed drum and provided on its 'under side with means whereby it may be held thereon, said holderhaving a raised intermediate bed portion and inwardly curled edges beyond the edges of the bed, and a printing. plate having an intermediate embossed panel and depressed outwardly extending edge flanges adapted to extend beneath the curled-in edges of the holder.

3. The combination, with a drum carrying parallel rails with overhanging heads, of a holder curved to rest on said rails and provided with means whereby it may beheld thereon, said holder having a raised intermediate bed portion and inwardly curled edges beyond the edges of the bed, and a printing plate having an intermediate enibossed panel adapted to bear on said raised bed and depressed outwardly extending edge flanges adapted to extend beneath the curled-in edges of the holder.

4. In a changeable printing form, the combination of a holder comprising a plate with intermediate raised bed and inwardly turned edge flanges some distance beyond the extreme edge of the bed, and a pair of r'ails with laterally extending bottom portions secured to the under side of said plate.

5. In a changeable printing form, the combination of a holder comprising a transversely curved plate with intermediate raised bed and inwardly curled edge flangesv some distance beyond the extreme edge of the bed, and a pair of rails with laterally extending bottom portions secured to the under side of said curved plate.

6. The combination with a printing drum having parallel rails with overhanging heads of a curved holder resting on the rails and carrying a printing device, said holder having on its under side a pair of rails of inverted T-shape in cross-section, said holder rails occupying the space between rails on the drum and snugly engaging opposite faces of such drum rails to prevent displacement of the holder.

7. In a device of the character described, the combination of a curved plate adapted to rest on the top of the rails of a multigrapli drum, said plate having on its under side a pair of rails of inverted T-shape in cross-section which are adapted to stand between the multigraph rails, said plate having edge flanges curled inwardly a slight distance above the plate, there being a raised pad supported by the plate between said flanges and separated some distance from them, and a curved address plate comprising a single sheet of metal having a raised intermediate panel upwardly embossed with printing characters resting on the pad and depressed edge flanges extending beneath the curled-in edge flanges of said holder.

8. The combination of a printing drum having parallel rails \vith overhanging.

heads, ribbon spools on the drum carrying an inking ribbon extending across the rails, a curved holder resting on the rails and having on its under side a pair of rails of inverted T-shape in cross-section, said holder rails occupying the space between rails on the drum, said holder having. curled-in edges and an intermediate raised bed on its upper side, and an embossed printing plate having an intermediate raised panel adapted to rest on said bed and, depressed and outwardly extending edge flanges adapted to extend beneath said inwardly turned edges, said plate having a non-printing portion extending longitudinally of the drum beyond the inking ribbon.

9. The combination, with a rotary printing machine, and a printing form thereon adapted to print the body of a letter, of

an address printing form adapted to be.

mounted on the drum, adjacent the edge of the body form and standing the same height-t o-paper, said address form comprising a curved holder with turned-in edges and an intermediate raised bed mounted on the body of the holder and terminating at its edges some distance short of the curled-in edges, and a curved embossed printing plate having an intermediate raised panel adapted to rest on said bed and having depressed and outwardly extending edge flanges adapted to extend toward the body beyond said inwardly turned edges thereof and then beneath said inwardly turned edges. v

In testimony whereof, I hereunto atfix in Si ature.

y gn JOHN C. OSBORNE. 

